AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 27-4012.00
Will AI replace Broadcast Technicians?
Broadcast Technicians: AI can already handle 2 of 27 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 27 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Broadcast Technicians, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Monitor and log transmitter readings. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Observe monitors and converse with station personnel to determine audio and video levels and to ascertain that programs are airing. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Play and record broadcast programs, using automation systems. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record sound onto tape or film for radio or television, checking its quality and making adjustments where necessary. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Schedule programming or read television programming logs to determine which programs are to be recorded or aired. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Select sources from which programming will be received or through which programming will be transmitted. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Edit broadcast material electronically, using computers. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Substitute programs in cases where signals fail. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Control audio equipment to regulate volume and sound quality during radio and television broadcasts. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Align antennae with receiving dishes to obtain the clearest signal for transmission of broadcasts from field locations. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Regulate the fidelity, brightness, and contrast of video transmissions, using video console control panels. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Make commercial dubs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Determine the number, type, and approximate location of microphones needed for best sound recording or transmission quality, and position them appropriately. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Organize recording sessions and prepare areas, such as radio booths and television stations, for recording. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Set up and operate portable field transmission equipment outside the studio. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Give technical directions to other personnel during filming. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Discuss production requirements with clients. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop employee work schedules. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Design and modify equipment to employer specifications. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Instruct trainees in use of television production equipment, filming of events, and copying and editing graphics or sound onto videotape. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install broadcast equipment, troubleshoot equipment problems, and perform maintenance or minor repairs, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Report equipment problems, ensure that repairs are made, and make emergency repairs to equipment when necessary and possible. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain programming logs as required by station management and the Federal Communications Commission. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Monitor strength, clarity, and reliability of incoming and outgoing signals, and adjust equipment as necessary to maintain quality broadcasts. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Set up, operate, and maintain broadcast station computers and networks. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 27 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 27 of 27. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 21,110
- Median annual wage
- $59,570
- Middle half of earners
- $40,320 to $83,520
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -2.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Audio and Video Technicians 77% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure47
- Sound Engineering Technicians 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure31
- Media Technical Directors/Managers 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure66
- Lighting Technicians 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure45
- Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure20
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Broadcast Technicians and AI
Will AI replace Broadcast Technicians?
AI already handles 2 of the 27 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 48 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -2.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Broadcast Technicians?
48 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 27 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 27 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Broadcast Technicians tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Prepare reports outlining past and future programs, including content; Preview scheduled programs to ensure that signals are functioning and programs are ready for transmission. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Broadcast Technicians, and what do they earn?
21,110 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $59,570 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -2.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Broadcast Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/broadcast-technicians
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